Putting the boots on Aigan

Viewed from Little Conval, the nearby hill of Ben Aigan is quite prominent and, since it was early enough in the day, I hoped to climb it on my way home.  After driving the short distance from Dufftown to the Forest Enterprise car park at the foot of the hill I set off in less than promising conditions.

The morning sunshine had been replaced with overcast sky and as I set out it began to snow quite heavily.  Where the Convals are heathery hills with open views, Ben Aigan is hemmed in with forestry on all sides which extends near to the summit.  A subsidiary top also sports a large transmitter tower which is at least a reference point among the trees.

Unusually, I found myself not really enjoying being out on the hill, especially after taking a wrong turn on a wet forest track.  I had a quiet word with myself - I'm very fortunate to have the time, location and health to do these things!  Perhaps it was a combination of being a bit cold from starting out again after being in the car, or just a bit of tiredness....

....and as I climbed higher and warmed up a bit the view began to provide interest - surely few hills can have as wide a view of the Moray Firth, stretching from Findhorn past Lossiemouth to Spey Bay and Cullen, it's a grand sweep of the coast.  Below, the River Spey winds like a silver ribbon from whisky country to the sea.

Ben Aigan is a fairly short ascent and I was soon onto the gently domed summit which sports a trig pillar which is unusual in being rectangular shaped. At just 471m/1545ft, it's certainly not a big hill but it does have a big view.  My earlier grumpiness was completely gone, blown away by the view and the wild wind.

I was very glad I'd put my boots on again, on Aigan!

A Speyside "double" - the last drop

After descending from Meikle Conval to the bealach (col) separating the two hills, it's a short and straightforward climb to the summit of Little Conval. Near to the summit itself are the remains of a hillfort, the visible remains are tumbled walls and the hint of a trench.  The date of the fort is prehistoric, but uncertain beyond that; one thing won't have changed at all though - it would have been a windy spot!

The view to the west from the summit is into the heart of whisky country and right below the hill is Benrinnes distillery, one of many I could see from here.

The trig pillar on Little Conval is about 100 metres north and below the summit itself, a position which has a much wider view than the domed top of the hill.  There's a good view of Ben Aigan a few kilometres to the north, and I hoped to climb that hill later in the day......

...but first I had to get back down to my starting point in Dufftown.  the path I took skirts the top of the golf course and requires some picking through rough ground and a wood lower down, a better option would probably been to have gone back down to the bealach separating the Convals and to have taken the track following the pylons to the road.

But no matter, I was back in Dufftown for lunchtime and savouring the last drop of the view of Little Conval from the town.

A Speyside "double" - the first sip

A 45 minute  drive from home saw me in Dufftown in the heart of Speyside's whisky country to sample my own "double"; the hills of Meikle Conval and Little Conval which are well seen from the town.  The weather was bright and cold but a rapid increase in the strength of the wind to violent storm force was forecast for the evening so I wanted to be well home before it got too wild.

Dufftown sits at the confluence of the Dullan Water and the River Fiddich and is surrounded by well-known distilleries such as Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and Mortlach among others.  In fact, there are so many distilleries and bond-warehouses that it's claimed Dufftown raises more revenue for the government per head of population than anywhere else in the UK!

Due to the forecast westerly winds I wanted to walk the higher ground from west to east in order to have the push at my back rather than slogging into a gale.  This conveniently also meant that I'd have the sun at my back too.  A relatively new path, part of the local path network runs alongside the B9009 road for part of the way to the start of the track up Meikle Conval, though in summer the road is quite busy.  On the way I passed Dufftown Golf Club, one of the highest in the country.  The second of the hills I was aiming for, Little Conval, can be seen above the golf course.

After a few kilometres of road walking into a stiff breeze I approached the base of Meikle Conval (big conical hill).  A straightforward climb up a vehicle track gives access to the domed summit area, when I was quite suddenly exposed to a blasting westerly wind which was as cold as it was strong, but also exposed to a great view.....

over to the Corbett of Ben Rinnes  , a fine hill visible from a wide swathe of the north east of Scotland.  If it was windy at a modest height of 571 metres (Meikle Conval is a "Marilyn"), the cloud banner tearing off the summit of Ben Rinnes indicated that it would be even more windy up there - and that this was definitely not a day for the higher hills.

I didn't linger but headed off over towards Little Conval, having to "lean on the wind" as it was behind but also to my left side as it compressed around the shoulder of Ben Rinnes - but what a fine, wild day it was to be on the hill for a whisky country "double" !

Memories of 2014

Looking back over 2014, I've been blessed with some outstanding days in the outdoors both on the water and on the hill.  Sea kayaking trips again featured heavily; an early Spring overnighter, a super multi-day trip around Arran, long days in the far northwest of Scotland, white sands and clear water at Arisaig and an introduction to the intense colours of summer on the Angus coast were all highlights.

On the hill there were numerous day walks, camping high in the Cairngorms and the opportunity to share in the experiences of Duke of Edinburgh's Award teams on their qualifying ventures.

As ever, it's difficult to pick a single memory from the year - and this January I'm going to cheat and indulge in two special memories.

The first combined hillwalking, sea kayaking, swimming and wildlife into a single day.......

...on a superb trip to Ailsa Craig.  In the course of a single day Douglas and I paddled over 35 kilometres, climbed to the 338 metre summit (more difficult than the height would suggest) swam in the sea and explored the lighthouse.  But it's the wildlife spectacle on the west side which leaves the greatest impression - on all the senses.

This "day trip" was amongst the best outdoor days I've ever had, and involved me leaving home at 0430 and arriving back at 0130 the next morning, the drive home (literally) illuminated by a rare display of noctilucent cloud.

Talking of which, the second outstanding memory of 2014 was all about cloudscape..........

...on an early morning crossing of the Kilbrannan Sound to Lochranza - the sheer beauty of which was impossible to put into words. 

A good friend has recently written compellingly about the gift of gratitude at the turn of the year - and looking back over 2014 that's the dominant theme.  In a year which brought both sadness and joy to our family, we've so much to be grateful for.  These two memories illustrate great days shared with friends; and I'm so grateful to have shared these and all the other wonderful experiences that 2014 offered.


So there you have it - two moments from another year in Scotland's outdoors.  What's your outstanding memory of 2014?

New Years Day

The weather recently hasn't favoured paddling locally, strong winds, big swell and cold temperatures.  But New Years Day looked quite promising - still a strong wind but from the south and offshore from the Moray Firth coast of Aberdeenshire.  It was mild too, feeling alomst balmy in double digit temperatures not seen for a while.  I opted for a short New Year paddle from Cullen and by late morning was ready to get on the water from the harbour.

The weather was eerily quiet and calm, though the movement of upper level cloud showed that it was windy high up.  I quickly settled bak into the rhythm of paddling, glad to be back on the water after a work-enforced break.

All calm at Logie Head......

Appropriately, there was even a blink of watery sunshine at Sunnyside beach where I stopped for a short break...

...before heading along past the ruin of Findlater Castle, growing almost organically from it's blade of rock, to Sandend where I finished my short trip.  Just a couple of hours paddling on the first day of the year, but my goodness it's good to be back on the water!

Frozen

The post-Christmas weather has continued to be frosty in Aberdeenshire; minus 7 Celsius by night and barely rising to freezing by day.  Scenery is reduced to a basic but graceful state...

   
                                      ...in which trees have become ghosts of themselves...

                            ...form and pattern are enhanced and etched everywhere one looks....

                                    ...whilst close up there is exquisite patterning....

     ...and the long-dead stems of plants are gilded with flowers of ice.  It's cold and monochrome, but so, so beautiful.

A Christmas cracker

Boxing Day dawned cold and frosty, I stepped out from the house for a walk on the Correen Hills into a bracing -6 degrees Celsius, ideal conditions for walking off festive food!

The frost had been deep and penetrating and wouldn't lift all day.  Thin winter sunlight lent some brightness but not much warmth through a haze of frosty cloud.  The world seemed somehow stilled and there was barely a sound to be heard on the walk up a the valley on a farm track.

The only running water was in a small burn coming from the slopes of Manabattock Hill which had created miniature chandeliers of ice, improbably suspended from just one reed.

Climbing out of the valley via the Fouchie Shank got me into the sunlight which felt a degree or two warmer than the blue shade in the valley.  Ahead the slopes of the day's objective of Lord Arthur's Hill with the line of shooting butts visible on the skyline.  The climb isn't steep but I was at least able to walk some warmth into cold muscles.  The ground was bone hard, every drop of moisture locked into ice. 

A mix of snow and frost formed a light coating on the ground and the frost had lent the heather shoots temporary white flowers of exquisite delicacy. The constrast between these miniature wonders and the wider view was startling.....

...to look up from the ground was to have the eye drawn miles through the frosty air.  To the north west lie The Buck o' the Cabrach and far Ben Rinnes.

To the south the view is dominated by Lochnagar, the elegant ridgelines of the mountain could be clearly picked out through binoculars, the air was gin-clear in this direction.

After a brief stay at the summit of Lord Arthur's Hill I turned to the southeast and headed back down towards the warmth of home and family.  My walk had been barely three hours, but what a Christmas cracker......

Happy Christmas

                        Wishing you peace, health and happiness wherever you may be this Christmas